STATEMENT OF HRH CROWN PRINCE ALEXANDER’s CHANCELLERY 

The Karadjordjevic’s and the Funeral of Tsar Nicholas II 

In its issue of 18 – 19 July 1998, the Belgrade ‘Danas’ published an
interview given recently by HRH Crown Prince Alexander to the Tiker agency.
In the interview, printed by ‘Danas’ under the heading “This Government
must go”, HRH Crown Prince Alexander replied to the questions that dealt
with the Kosovo crisis, the burial of mortal remains of Tsar Nicholas II
and other members of the imperial family in St. Petersburg on 17 July and
the possible transfer of mortal remains of his grandmother, HRH Queen Maria,
and his father, King Peter II, to the family burial place at Oplenac. 

Tiker agency reported the views of His Royal Highness on these topics
very correctly, but to the surprise of this Office the editorial board
of ‘Danas’ thought it fit to omit the question and answer relating to HRH’s
possible attendance at the funeral of the mortal remains of Tsar Nicholas
II and insert instead “a box” (entrefilet) containing the absurd contention
that HRH Crown Prince Alexander and other members of our Royal House did
not go to the St. Petersburg funeral since they were “short of cash”. 
HRH Crown Prince Alexander allegedly did not have the money to pay for
staying at a St. Petersburg hotel and for “considerable expenses” that
the purchase of wreaths would have involved! The anonymous column-writer,
who hides under the initials R.D., quoted “well informed sources close
to the Karadjordjevic family” in support of his baseless claims and triumphantly
concluded that “The House of Karadjordjevic obviously does not have the
funds for all that”. 

This Office is amazed that a serious paper like ‘Danas’ should publish
such an untruth without having first made an effort to check the accuracy
of its “reports” with us.  This is not at all to its credit and for
the sake of journalistic professionalism and ethics we ask ‘Danas to publish
this denial. 

HRH Crown Prince Alexander did not attend the St. Petersburg funeral
for the same reasons as all other representatives of royal houses of Europe
and Asia, with one exception.  These were the same reasons that motivated
His Holiness the Patriarch of All-Russia Alexy II not to take part. 
His Royal Highness, however, still welcomes the appearance of President
Yeltsin at the funeral and believes that his speech on the occasion was
wise and statesmanlike.  He hopes that his speech will help to heal
and overcome the schisms and divisions caused among the Russian people
by the Bolsheviks.  It is worth noting in this connection that the
bearers of power in Serbia have never made a similar attempt. 

London, 22 July 1998

 
 
 

1997 HRHCP Aleksandar II
All Rights Reserved